A real bumper crop this month...
Monday 28 February 2022
Quote Of The Month
Batsby on modern life:
"People around the world suffer floods, droughts, hunger, incarceration, slavery and all manner of other privations, yet we in the west complain if we can’t get precisely what we want when we want. Infantile longing for stuff we can’t afford drives young men to lease ridiculous cars to advertise a status they have yet to and may never earn. And marketing inventiveness and cunning relentlessly promotes such excesses as botoxed brows and unbelievably ugly pneumatic lips. What is wrong with us? Why can’t we learn to live with what we’ve got, accept we’ve largely got what we need, and appreciate the effort of working harder for what we desire?"
Is This A Photo Of The Dog In Question..?
...or the owner? I can't tell!
A spokesman for Essex Police said: "We would like to speak to her in connection with our investigation into an incident in which a man was bitten by a dog.
"At around 11.30am on Thursday 6 January a dog, possibly a staff or mastiff-type dog, was tied up outside a shop in Clay Hill Road, Basildon. As a man walked past, the dog bit his arm."
It's always the same type of dog in question, isn't it?
Sunday 27 February 2022
Correct, Or Not..?
...you decide, reader! I suspect the headline writer typed it with their fingers crossed.
H/T: JohnM via email
Saturday 26 February 2022
Good - The Right People Are Concerned...
...let's hope their fears are well-founded:
Nick Lowles, chief executive of anti-racism group Hope Not Hate, said the guidance appeared to focus on 'creating a debate about the 'culture wars' rather than helping pupils learn about racism and prejudice.
Because all his organisation cares about is....errr...well, as Fahrenheit211 has exhaustively documented, not combatting racism so much as taking an enthusiastic part in those wars.
He added that the Government seemed to be turning the need to teach pupils about racism into a 'political football'.
Not, that's chutzpah, since Nickie boy is their top player in political football!
Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU teaching union, said...'There is absolutely no need for new guidance on how to appropriately handle political and social subjects in schools,' she said.
'Very good guidance already exists and this is followed up and down the country. It has always been the case that educators take their responsibilities for teaching in these areas seriously and carry it out with considerable thought.'
If that was truly the case, this wouldn't be needed, would it Mary..?
End Of An Era...
Bristol Zoo has provided animal magic to its visitors for 186 years – so successfully, in fact, that it even became the setting for the TV show of the same name.
But now – after welcoming 90million people and having saved 175 species from extinction through its conservation work – it is to close for good.
What a shame. I visited this about 20 years ago, and it was a fabulous zoo, on a par with London zoo as it is now.
Its animals will go to a new zoo at Bristol Zoological Society’s Wild Place Project near the city after it shuts on September 3.
Well, at least that's something...
Parts of the site will become housing...
To squeeze humans into spaces so small, if the former site inhabitants were housed there, the protestors would never leave!
...but the gardens will remain open to the public.
Dr Justin Morris, the society’s chief executive, said: ‘This is our legacy. They will remain an important destination for people to visit and enjoy.’
Until they become a litter-strewn spot for drug deals, that is.
The money from the sale will pay for the new Bristol Zoo, which is due to open in 2024.
Wait, where will the animals go in the intervening year and a bit?
Friday 25 February 2022
Now Do 'Muslim Converts'...
Campaigners have called into question the Scottish Prison Service's (SPS) policy of allowing male prisoners to "self-id" as women in order to be put into a female-only prison.
Their concern has come after new research suggested that men who changed their gender to female in jail are switching back to their birth gender after release.
...who nip into Greggs for a bacon butty the instant the jail doors open on release.
A study, published in the British Journal of Criminology, also revealed that some of these prisoners may only have identified as women in order to have sex with female inmates.
Predators gonna predate. Seriously, did no-one see this coming?
The SPS said it has no plans to make use of the new research. It has undertaken its own consultation exercise into how it fits trans prisoners into its estate and expects a report by the summer.
When they've managed to figure out how they can somehow prove the other team wrong. The safety of female prisoners? It's not even a factor for concern for them, is it?
Conclusion...
So far only one person Cameron Deriggs, 18, has been charged in connection with the incident with conspiracy to murder. Sasha's mother has called on any witnesses to come forward and speak to authorities.
A trial had been fixed for March 7 but at an Old Bailey hearing on Tuesday the prosecution announced the Crown would not be pursuing the case. The four men all jumped up from their seats and cheered as they were told the case would be quashed upon review.
During the hearing before Mr Justice Hilliard, Mr Heywood outlined the circumstantial case against the defendants, saying the decision to drop the case had followed a careful review involving the highest level at the Crown Prosecution Service.
He said he was unable to give full reasons for the decision but had provided details to the court as to why the CPS had no option.
*shrugs*
Thursday 24 February 2022
Same Old Labour Under Starmer...
Do white people not get cold?
Black households face being disproportionately impacted by the cost-of-living crisis, according to analysis which shows nearly four in five have less than £1,500 in savings.
Maybe exploring why this is, and encouraging them to save, would help?
Теперь мы прерываем эту запланированную трансляцию*...
...to bring you some music. Take it away, Edwin!
Putin, though a brutal authoritarian leader, is not a charismatic madman like Hitler.He's not even Justin, is he, Ian?
*We now interrupt this scheduled broadcast (with thanks to Google Translate)
Wednesday 23 February 2022
The Authorities Are More Insane Than He Is...
Two days after leaving a mental health ward, Ryan Blacknell stabbed Ella Parker 33 times with a screwdriver at her flat in Milton Keynes.
He admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and was detained under the Mental Health Act.
At the time, the judge said: 'He may never be released and if he is, it will be under the most stringent of conditions.'
Yeah, about that...
Blacknell, who was initially sent to Broadmoor high-security psychiatric hospital before being transferred to Oxford's Littlemore Mental Health Centre, was last week seen strolling alone to a nearby gym.
With a bag slung over his shoulder and wearing a Ralph Lauren baseball cap, puffer jacket and grey tracksuit bottoms, the 28-year-old arrived at the Pure gym around 11am on Wednesday and stayed for around three hours.
I've always said you'd have to be mad to pay money to exercise, but I didn't mean it like that!
As well as regular visits to the gym, Blacknell has enjoyed shopping trips to Oxford city centre to buy clothes and other items.
A source said: 'Blacknell does what he wants – gym, shopping, anything he likes. He's totally unsupervised.
'He also has a PS4 game console in his room and wardrobes full of clothes including Ralph Lauren and Hugo Boss.
'The money he spends is from benefits. He receives well over £500 a month.'
That's just rubbing salt in the wounds for the victim's family, isn't it?
Poor Sod...
Multiple local residents told Daily Mail Australia the suffering man had asked a doctor to amputate his leg, but no medical professional would agree to do the procedure....if only he'd wanted his genitals cut off instead, he'd have found all the help he needed from 'medical professionals'.
Case in point...
Tuesday 22 February 2022
Another 'Can't Everyone Lose?' Case Here...
A Christian doctor who was sacked because he refused to refer to transgender people by their chosen sex or 'call any 6ft tall bearded man madam' will take his fight to the High Court.
And I expect he'll lose. Because when you work for someone, you call the client whatever your employers wants them to be called.
Or you find another job.
Dr Mackereth, an A&E doctor with 28 years' experience, was sacked as a medical assessor for the Department of Work and Pensions in 2018 after refusing to identify clients by their chosen gender instead of their biological sex.
And he thinks that he can claim victimhood:
In July 2019, supported by the Christian Legal Centre, he took his case to an Employment Tribunal in Birmingham claiming harassment and discrimination based on his Christian beliefs.
He claimed his employer had breached his right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
But, not content with telling him 'No, it's in your contract that you abide by the rules of your employer', the panel decided to go further:
But a panel condemned his view of what it means to be male and female as 'incompatible with human dignity'.
The tribunal 'found that his beliefs were likely to cause offence and have the effect of violating a transgender person's dignity or creating a proscribed environment, or subjecting a transgender person to less favourable treatment'.
Which is utter round objects. All they needed to do was say 'You're free to believe whatever you want but in work time, you put on your work face and do as your employer asks'.
But there may be a get-out clause he can use:
As well as claiming religious discrimination, Dr Mackereth said no effort was made to accommodate his beliefs, such as referring transgender clients at Birmingham's Five Ways assessment centre to another doctor.
If supermarkets let Muslim checkout operators refuse to serve alcohol and bacon, and pharmacists refuse to dispense birth control pills, then they should have granted his request, shouldn't they?
Somewhere, A Design Company Is Saying 'Oooh, How Did We Miss That?'
The range to celebrate Van Gogh features sunflowers aplenty, on socks, scarfs, and in packs of seeds, as well as jigsaw, postcard and print mementoes of his best-known self-portraits.
Ooh, I do love overpriced museum tat!
...a £6 eraser in the shape of an ear...
An eraser? Who uses pencils these days?
Apart from the eraser ear, visitors can buy a £5 bar of soap, marketed as ideal for “the tortured artist who enjoys fluffy bubbles”. An “emotional first aid kit”, priced at £16, is described as “a box of wise emergency advice for 20 key psychological situations”. Some have been left distinctly unimpressed at the attempt at humour.
Oh, of course. Here come the snowflakes!
Charles Thomson, a co-founder of the Stuckist group of artists, said: “Suicide is not a joke and mental illness is not a joke.”
“This is shallow, nasty and insensitive,” he told the Mail on Sunday. “What next? Van Gogh’s suicide pistol?”'Tarquin, why didn't you think of this!?'
Monday 21 February 2022
From Agatha Christie To...This
Police have launched a murder investigation after a mother and her 11-month-old baby died following a collision with a lorry in the early hours of the morning.
The mum - named by friends today as 35-year-old Nichola Davies - died at the scene of the horror smash alongside her toddler daughter, who was a twin.
Murder? How come? Was anyone else involved?
Ms Davies had been driving a grey Ford Focus, with her daughter in the back, when it was involved in a crash with a yellow lorry on the A41 between Tern Hill and Newport, Shropshire, at around 1am on Tuesday.
Hmmm. Apparently not:
Nobody else was hurt in the crash and there have been no arrests. West Mercia Police say they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths.
So who are the police looking at as the potential murderer?
Officers have spoken to the lorry driver and are investigating whether Ms Davies - who was known as Nikki or Nikko - may have deliberately caused the crash.
*blinks*
Yes, But So Did The Owner...
The man, who also owns a dog with his partner, said: "We just heard the shots and then saw all the commotion with all the police.
He said he had seen videos of the dog when it was out before the incident happened and said it 'didn't seem like a crazy dog' to him.
He added: "I just can't help but think - did it really need to be shot?"Let's ask the woman and teenager it put in hospital, and the small dog it attacked. Oh wait, you can't, it killed it.
Thankfully, not everyone's priorities are skewed:
Another resident, who also didn't wish to be named, said: "Obviously I feel dreadful for the lady who owned the little dog. You just can't imagine what she must be feeling."
I don't suppose she's feeling any safer now...
Police have now confirmed that the man arrested has since been released on conditional bail as enquiries continue.
He's probably already bought another four-legged weapon.
H/T: i.r. jackson via emailSunday 20 February 2022
Saturday 19 February 2022
"There are more questions than answers..."
Edd Hetherington, for Maximen, told the court his client had suffered a developmental disorder that was a combination of a learning difficulty and a communication disorder.
Judge Hart said there was no 'logical explanation' for his offending and said it was not due to 'any recognised mental illness or diagnosed personality disorder'.
He added: 'There is no logical explanation for any of your offending other than that you are a highly dangerous young man with a wholly distorted view of life and appropriate conduct.
'It is not due to any recognised mental illness or diagnosed personality disorder and I can only conclude that it is simply because, for whatever reason, you are just like that, perhaps as a consequence of the impact of your earlier life experiences and the difficulties under which you labour.'
He doesn't appear to have come from a broken home, so what 'earlier life experiences' the judge is referring to is a mystery.
And nor is there any reference to cannabis use, which appears so often in stories where young (often black) men launch ferocious assaults on complete strangers.
Jailing Maximen for life with a minimum term of 12 years, Judge Hart described him as a 'highly dangerous' man.
The judge added: 'There is no way of knowing when, if ever, you will cease to be as dangerous an individual as you are now and as you were in October and November 2019.
'You continue to deny, albeit somewhat half-heartedly at times, your offending and there is no way in which your dangerousness can be satisfactorily addressed or remediated.'
He committed the murderous assaults at the age of 17, In 12 years time, he'll be 29. Still capable of violence.
Shouldn't he be locked away until he's no longer physically capable of violence?
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Kristina Windsor, said: 'The very thought of being randomly attacked by a stranger with a knife in your own home or while sat on a public bench is terrifying and I'd like to praise the immense bravery and courage all the victims and witnesses have shown.
'I'd also like to reassure the public that attacks of this nature are extremely rare in Avon and Somerset.'
But they appear to be increasing if you look at the country as a whole. Shouldn't someone be investigating this phenomenon?
Or at the very least, the phenomenon of why certain victims seem to want to display the sort of reflexive cringing and obsequiousness that I find even more scary than murderous attacks by strangers.
If The Authorities Were That Concerned...
Friday 18 February 2022
You Don't Read Or Watch The News Either?
Another day, another child dead due to its parents' lack of care:
Oh, please! There's been so many cases. Just how thick are you?
His mother said last night: 'Nobody warned us about button batteries. I didn't even know what they were but they're in everything. I was more worried about bleach, falling down stairs and bumping heads.'
Oh, please! There's been so many cases. Just how thick are you?
The VTech Swing & Sing monkey teddy is described as being 'specifically designed to promote sensory awareness'. Instructions for the plush animal toy available online say the battery compartment has a screw which is supposed to keep the top in place unless undone by a screwdriver.
Does no-one wonder where that screw went?
They also feature the warning: 'This product contains a button or coin cell battery. A swallowed button or coin cell battery can cause internal chemical burns in as little as two hours and lead to death.
'Dispose of used batteries immediately. Keep new and used batteries away from children. If you think batteries might have been swallowed or placed inside any part of the body, seek immediate medical attention.'
RTFM, parents!
Hughie's parents now want the law to be changed to stop the tiny batteries from being sold. Mr McMahon added: 'They've ruined our life and we want to make sure nobody else goes through what we have.'
Wait, what? Because of the results of your utter carelessness, you now demand that everyone else must suffer?
Well, at least no-one's going to back you here, with such an obvious non-starter of a campai...
Oh!
Local SNP MSP Clare Adam has supported the couple and say she will be raising the issue in Parliament.
SNP. Who's surprised?
STORMAGEDDON!
Millions were last night told to remain indoors, work from home, cancel travel plans and stay away from the coast as the storm began to sweep across Britain.
Experts are concerned the conditions could create an extremely dangerous weather phenomenon known as the 'sting jet' – a narrow, focused region of exceptionally strong and destructive wind.
It would be the first instance of such an event since the Great Storm of 1987 as Boris Johnson yesterday said the Army was on standby to help those affected.I cannot recall this level of panic about weather before...even with the 2013 affair. That was also at half-term time, I'm reminded, which helped.
Even 'Pokemon' is at it!
Let's hope this one turns out to have been an overreaction, just like the last.
Thursday 17 February 2022
Stone Him! Stone The Heretic!
Mr Scarborough said he clashed with colleagues last year. Asked to share his insight about being a mixed-race man in Britain, he said his experience had been positive and the country had made much progress in tackling racism.
He added: 'But I was called racist ... I don't feel like I can discuss these things at work any more.'
Not if you're going to prove them wrong, you won't!
He said unconscious-bias training was little more than a way 'to shame white people', adding: 'We work for the people of this country and the money we receive comes from them. I feel a responsibility to not waste money on something that is not going to make a difference to clinical outcomes.'
Are we talking about a large sum?
He decided to speak out when HEE, which gets £4billion of taxpayer cash each year to support NHS training and skills development, invited staff to a virtual 'white privilege' course to address 'unconscious bias' and 'white fragility'. The four-and-a-half-hour event costs £141 a head.
'There's constantly this dialogue on diversity and inclusion over anything else,' said Mr Scarborough, whose grandfather was from Somalia.
Good grief!
HEE said it was 'a diverse, people-focused, inclusive organisation' that offered optional 'opportunities to all to further awareness... of aspects of diversity and inclusion'.
Not what I imagine the man on the street would say were 'vital skills for NHS staff'. Any customer skills training on the books?
Thought not.
And The Mother? Isn't She Culpable?
A man has admitted ramming a pair of pants full of human excrement down the throat of a child after the boy 'had an accident'.
Stanley Haywood, of Cirencester, pleaded guilty to assaulting the youngster at Swindon Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.
Good god!
The child was later taken to Great Western Hospital by his mother where he was assessed for his injuries. He was found to have sustained bruising to his cheek and the back of his throat.
Any normal woman would have first made sure this vile waste of oxygen was in no shape to do anything like this again.
In an interview in custody, he told officers he did not remember most of the incident but he was “disgusted and horrified” at his behaviour.
He was “very stressed” at the time and disclosed that "his father used to do the same to him when he was young", Mr Ballinger added.
At the time of the offence, he was already serving a community order imposed by Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court for possession of a bladed article in a public place.
So...why was the mother shacked up with this thing in the first place?
He attended court with a psychiatrist, who told the magistrates his service user has a “complex trauma history” and has never received any treatment for his obvious mental health issues.
Christ, love, was he the best you could do?
Mark Glendenning, defending said: “He is devastated that he has acted in this way and is ashamed of his actions.”
Adding that he is a recovering drug addict who was “desperately struggling” at the time.
It gets better and better, doesn't it?
Labelling the vile attack as “very humiliating” for the victim, magistrates sentenced Haywood to a three-month prison sentence, but suspended it for 18 months.
And that's the cherry on the top.
Wednesday 16 February 2022
Shutting The Stable Door...
Ministers intend to give Companies House powers to verify company information....after the Hungarian horses (and zebras!) have long since galloped over the horizon:
... locals in Wales's most northerly village were surprised to learn that seven firms claiming to be setting up 'botanical and zoological gardens' or 'nature reserves' were registered there over eight days last month.
*blinks*
A Mail on Sunday investigation can reveal that Cemaes is the latest place to fall victim to a soft-touch system that lets anyone create a business in the UK without proof of identity.
Good grief!
The Cemaes firms are among 17 registered with Hungarian directors last month for 'botanical and zoological gardens and nature reserves activities'.
And no-one noticed? Not that it would have mattered much if they did...
A spokesman said it refers potential fraud to law enforcement agencies, adding: 'At present Companies House don't have statutory powers to investigate fraud and verify the accuracy of information provided by UK companies.'
*sighs*
'Helping'. Yr Doin' It Wrong...
The father of a teaching assistant who had sex with a 14-year-old schoolboy in a Wilko car park has said...
How ashamed he is?
...'she just wanted help' as the family plot to appeal her conviction.
Oh...
He told The Sun: 'I don’t believe what came out in court. She shouldn’t have been doing that job. She was too young.
'She was in that job because she wanted to help people, that’s what she does, she helps people.
'She’s very very good natured. Anyone she’s ever worked for before and still working for now speak very highly of her. And she is still working now.'
Strange then that she went to such lengths to deceive those around her targeted prey:
Harris told the boy's parents she lived in Baldock, Hertfordshire, with her fictional daughter Kayla, whom she claimed was their son's girlfriend. In one text to the boy's parents, she wrote: 'Seems Kayla and (the boy) are getting on well, so I am happy to ferry them around.' Their relationship was uncovered in January 2020 by the boy's older brother after the 14-year-old admitted to his sibling that both 'Olivia' and 'Kayla' were fictional.
Those are the actions of a predator.
Following the verdict, defence barrister Julia Flanagan said Harris was now in a stable relationship. She said there had been concerns for her mental health, but she had returned to working in IT.
Judge Caroline Wigin bailed Harris, who cried in the dock, for sentencing on March 9. She must abide by a curfew between 7pm and 7am. The judge said she will also have to register as a sex offender and told her: 'The sentence is inevitably going to be custody.'
We'll see....
Tuesday 15 February 2022
Yes, Starmer Can Claim To Be 'Tough On Crime'...
...well, apart from that whole Jimmy Savile thing, Frances. Oh, and the Rotherham thing too...
Some 371 people died in prison custody in 2021 – the equivalent of more than one a day. Many of these deaths were coronavirus-related. Tragically, 86 took their own lives, up from 67 the previous year.
*shrugs* A few - innocent - people took their own lives thanks to the effects of lockdown too. No tears for them, Frances?
Strict coronavirus restrictions in prisons have left tens of thousands of people locked in their cells for 23 hours a day for months on end.
And millions of - innocent! - people trapped behind their own front doors by government decree. But no tears for them, eh, Frances?
Prison reform has long been one of those political hot potatoes that few politicians are willing to tackle sensibly, all too aware that they will be accused of being “soft on crime” or “not on the side of victims”.
Rightly so. So what?
What we really need is reform of the entire prison system, starting with an increase in funding for healthcare and palliative support. Not only is it the right thing to do, it will also save taxpayers’ money in the long run by improving prisoners’ health and helping to nurture future rehabilitated citizens.
But look at the levels of recidivism. Who wants to take the risk that they are rehabilitated?
Prisons are too often used as a solution to social problems; a civilised – and smart – society would spend its resources on tackling poverty rather than building more cells.
Is it 'poverty' that drives crimes like these, then? Pretty hard to believe, Frances...
As a former public prosecutor, Keir Starmer is in a better position than most to challenge the government to adopt an evidence-based approach to prisons without Johnson being able to accuse him of being “soft” on crime.
Looking at his record, I rather think you've lost the plot, if you could be said to have ever had one.
If He's Really That Dangerous...
Police hunting an 'extremely dangerous' sex offender who escaped from prison on Sunday morning warned he could be 'anywhere in the country'.
Paul Robson, 56, fled HMP North Sea Camp, an open prison in Boston, Lincolnshire, shortly before 7am....then why was he in an open prison?
Robson was given two life sentences in August 2000 after he broke into a 23-year-old woman's house in Oxford through a cat flap and sexually assaulted her while holding a knife to her throat.
I thought 'life means life', no? And how big is he - or how big was her cat?!
Monday 14 February 2022
Let's Heed The Wise Words Of Ichiro Serizawa...
More than 20 LGBT organisations, including Stonewall, claimed the EHRC has worked to remove legal protections for the transgender community in Britain after it said it would review plans to change the law on gender recognition in Scotland.
Writing to the United Nations, the collective have argued for the commission to be stripped of its status as an impartial body, with Stonewall going further and describing the EHRC's statement as an attack on trans equality.
But EHRC chief executive Marcial Boo shot back on Friday and defended the commissions' track record on prosecuting those who discriminate against minority groups.
Bagsie the popcorn!
Safety First...Six Weeks Later!
Indy, a Romanian rescue dog was seized by officers from Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Joint Protective Services yesterday (3 February) after reports she had bitten a child.
I should be applauding the police, yes? Well, Reader...no.
Bedfordshire Police obtained a warrant to seize the dog on 23 December 2021 but only executed the warrant six-weeks later.
*blinks*
Claire says the officer who came to seize the dog told them this was “to get resources together”.
Bedfordshire Dog Unit gearing up for duty...
What resources? If an animal is reported as 'dangerous', then surely that demands action immediately, not 'after we've finally finished the leftover turkey and all the Quality Streets no-one else likes'..?
“The dog handlers were arrogant and intimidating, presenting themselves with catchpoles and when my mother asked if she could have support they denied it and the emphasis was on removing her by whatever means.”
“Today Indy cowered as they came in towards her. She showed not one ounce of aggression but they dragged her with their catchpole terrified and causing her to defecate and wet herself in fear.”
And naturally, there's outrage on social media:
We asked Bedfordshire Police about the incident and why the warrant took six weeks to be executed.
This'll be good!
Peter Madden, the dangerous dog advisor for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Joint Protective Services, said: “At the scene we initially tried to get the dog into our van with the help of the owner, but unfortunately we were unable to do so, so had to use different tactics such as animal control poles.
“While we understand incidents like these can be distressing, we have to put people’s safety first while our investigation takes place.
Sure, sure, six weeks isn't too long to wait for 'safety', is it?
“We have spoken with the owner this morning and provided an update, and will continue to keep them informed.
“The dog has been taken to private boarding kennels where it is being well looked after, and it will remain here while the case is being investigated.”
I note you didn't answer the most important question about why you sat on your arses for six weeks before turning up mob handed and putting on a show of force that was clearly totally unwarranted...
Updated: since writing and scheduling this post, Bedfordshire Police have realised the resultant bad publicity was something they couldn't afford.
Sunday 13 February 2022
Saturday 12 February 2022
What Was He Supposed To Use, Harsh Language?
A Metropolitan Police officer who tasered a 10-year-old girl 'threatening a woman with garden shears and a hammer' at her home should face gross misconduct proceedings, a watchdog has ruled.
Scotland Yard's own review cleared the police officer of wrongdoing over the incident in January last year, with the force saying four days later that 'no misconduct was identified'.
Well, no, indeed. What else was he supposed to use? Belting her with an ASP would likely have done more damage...
'Our investigation into this matter has concluded and we have found a Metropolitan Police Service officer has a case to answer for gross misconduct in relation to the tasering of a 10-year-old girl,' a spokeswoman for the IOPC told the broadcaster. It is believed that the schoolgirl is the youngest person in the UK to have been hit with a taser, that deploys 50,000 volts to its target.
I think they forgot to add 'So far'...
The Met Police told Sky News that the watchdog's ruling was in relation to the officer's use of force against the girl, and that a misconduct hearing would be held on a date that will be confirmed later.
What's changed?
Details of the shocking events were reported in March last year after a complaint was passed to the IOPC by the girl's family.
*speechless*
Treat Them Like Illegal Guns And Seized Knives...
...and ignore the animal lovers who will demand they can be rehabilitated:
Met Police officers have rescued dogs from an alleged “dog fighting” property in northeast London.
Police officers executed a warrant at a property on Sewardstone Rd, Chingford last Thursday and found adult dogs and puppies from prohibited breeds.
Then humanely destroy them. And when the hopelessly optimistic animal lovers raise a hullabaloo about them being 'innocent' and the real culprits being the owners, point out that there's no reason to melt down perfectly servicable knives and guns either, but we do...
Three men aged between 28-35, were arrested at the scene on suspicion of dangerous dog offences, handling stolen goods, possession of a firearm and possession of offensive weapons in a private place.
Of course. Why is this a surprise? The police should be - and probably are in a lot of cases - well aware that criminality goes hand in hand with criminality.
Officers also discovered a firearm, combat knives, and stolen plant machinery.
Plant machinery? Chingford? Vicious animal cruelty? I'm getting a bit of a vibe here.
No, not footballers!
PC Tom Landels of the Met’s North East Command said: “There was a significant amount of property and a number of dogs seized during this operation.
“The plant machinery will be returned to the lawful owners and the dogs will undergo assessment while they are cared for at a police kennel facility.”
Why bother? Dispose of them humanely.
The three men in question have been released under investigation, while enquiries remain ongoing.
No names, eh?
Friday 11 February 2022
Despicable Coward...
It is understood Dame Cressida was called to a meeting with the Mayor at 4.30pm on Thursday over the reforms but declined to attend and offered her resignation instead, catching the Home Office by surprise.This was shortly after that interview with the BBC where she insisted she had no intention of resigning. And she didn't have the guts to face down the little pipsqueak?
An insider claimed:'It could be quite destabilising. How does this square with the fact that just last year he was arguing she should be given a three-year contract extension? The mayor owes the people of London an explanation.'She's had the backing of everyone at the top of the political dungheap for far too long, hasn't she? There's a whole long list of people who owe the Londoners an explanation...
The Home Secretary will oversee the appointment of the new commissioner and more details on how she will set about searching for a replacement are expected to be confirmed in due course.Well, now we will see what Priti's made of - can she find someone even worse?
Reader, I believe she can. Watch this space.
Yes, It's Always A 'Quiet Area' (Apart From The Barking And Screams Of The Victims)...
One resident who wished to remain anonymous said there were about 10 police vehicles at the scene, as well as two fire engines.
The resident said: "They are very normal people. It's shocking. I've heard they are okay at the moment."
Another anonymous resident said: "It's a quiet area. There is one or two nasty dogs but I've always seen them under control. I'd never have thought anything like this would have happened."
If there's 'one or two nasty dogs' in the area, it's always a case of 'when', and not 'if'. Sooner or later, they won't be under control.
Superintendent Vikki Townsend from Gwent Police said: "We were called to a property in Liswerry, Newport at around 4.50pm on Wednesday, February 2, following reports of a dog attack inside the property.
"Armed officers attended to ensure the safety of members of the public.
"The dog has been taken to a local kennels while officers remain in the area as they carry out their investigations."
If you sent armed officers, why not use them?
Thursday 10 February 2022
Let's Take Him At His Word, Judge..
Jurors were told Hussain does not dispute stabbing the women and the issue for them to decide was what his intention was at the time.
Judge Nicholas Dean QC, the Honorary Recorder of Manchester, told them: 'The prosecution say that Mr Hussain had a terrorist motive for his actions.
'Even if you are sure he had such motivation it does not necessarily follow he had an intent to kill.'
Wow, you really have to be steeped in 'justice' to make that sort of convoluted direction to a jury, don't you?
Following his arrest, a note, written in Urdu, was discovered on him which read: ''O Israel, you are inflicting atrocities on Palestinians and Marks Spencer helping you financially.'
Good, I'm even happier to shop there now!
Alex Leach QC, prosecuting, said ... it became apparent to police officers he had a history of mental health problems but doctors later deemed him fit to answer questions the following March.
Mr Leach said: 'He told the police that he had targeted Marks & Spencer deliberately because he believed Marks & Spencer funded Israel in what he described as its persecution of Palestine.
'He said that had his knife not broken he would have gone on to kill others. He said that he expected that the police might kill him and he intended to be a martyr.'
I hope the jury comes to the right conclusion. Which is to ignore the Recorder's direction.
Is The 'Shocking' Thing...
...the fact they are actually looking for one for once?
Police hunting a dangerous dog stumbled upon a shocking stash of drugs and weapons.
Surely there's nothing genuinely shocking about this? Break one law, you're likely to break more - aren't we always shown in those cop shows that stopping a speeder often results in more crimes being discovered?
A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said no arrests had been made and enquiries were continuing.
How, exactly, can you discover drugs and yet not arrest anyone?
Wednesday 9 February 2022
Fixing The Loose Tile On The Roof...
...while the cellar is flooding with sewage:
In a new report published on Thursday (January 13), the Environmental Audit Committee said only 14 per cent of English rivers meet good ecological status.
It added that it has been tricky to get a complete overview of the health of rivers due to “outdated, underfunded and inadequate monitoring” and until the passing of the Environment Act last year, there had been a “lack of political will” to improve water quality.
But we have the 'greenest Tory government ever', don't we?
It comes after an investigation by the Advertiser in December found that a company spilled raw sewage into sensitive streams in the northern Test Valley on more than 250 occasions in one year.
But never mind that, we've got to rip out all our gas boilers in a futile attempt to halt warble gloaming...
H/T: i .r. jackson via email
The Canine Equivalent Of 'Darkly Tanned'..?
Kirsten said she had left Budgens at around 2.20pm and was walking back home with her shopping. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a dog on a rope suddenly jump out.
What type?
She described the dog as Labrador-size, muscular, with short hair. She said it was pale beige with white patches.
Hmmm...
Kirsten, who has a dog of her own, described herself as a "dog person" who has never experienced a situation like this before.
"Maybe the owner needs some help with training, or there are groups that can support her, but something has to be done," she said.When you end up with soft tissue damage, a wrenched shoulder and nerve damage there's only one thing to be done.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed officers were called at 3.26pm yesterday and have made an appointment to speak to the victim.
A spokesperson said no arrests have been made and enquiries continue.
How reassuring...
Tuesday 8 February 2022
Oooh, Have We Found A Conservative At Last?
The Education Secretary has sent officials to investigate the council over reports race theories are being taught in schools.
Nadhim Zahawi says he is “concerned” about the lessons being taught in schools run by Brighton and Hove City Council.
It's about time! I knew there had to be one, at least...
Around 300 school staff in the city have completed the Racial Literacy 101 course. According to the Sunday Telegraph, the Racial Literacy 101 course materials informed teachers that “between the ages of three and five, children learn to attach value to skin colour: white at the top of the hierarchy and black at the bottom”.
And now the council has finally released the materials (they earlier refused a request by a parent to do so citing 'commecial issues') and we can see he's right to be convcerned.
More 4,700 people have signed a petition in Brighton and Hove entitled, “Stop the council teaching our kids that they are racists or victims of their classmates”.
Which is exactly what this material does.
A council spokesman said: “We are proud of our pledge and work to be an anti-racist city and to support school staff to make education settings fairer in line with both government guidance and the law.
“The anti-racist training we offer is for staff – not pupils. It is up to individual schools what weight they choose to give different theories and how they translate them into their teaching and policies.”
The jig's up. It doesn't matter what you claim. We can all see now just what you've been up to.
You Don't Have To Be An Idiot To Be A Judge...
...but you do have to have a warped sense of priorities:
At a hearing in May 2021 at Norwich County Court he was awarded £8,500 by judge Mr Recorder Gibbons who rejected most of his claim for clinical negligence on the grounds that Cojanu had been dishonest over how he incurred the injury, loss of earnings and medical care costs he claimed he would incur.
I wouldn't even have given him that...but since he's no doubt not paying for his legal fees, why not keep on trying?
Eventually you'll find a sucker...
His lawyers then appealed the decision at the High Court, with Mr Justice Ritchie this week ruling that his compensation be increased to £17,500 while stating that Cojanu being 'dishonest' about how he received his injury was not relevant to the civil claim against the NHS.
Really?
'...cause of the cut fingers has no relevance to the clinical negligence claim. In my judgment the mechanism of how he cut his finger is incidental to the claim or collateral thereto.'
Well, except for the very reason that there was a delay, that is...
The cancellation took place because of security concerns over taking him to the North London hospital...
If they'd left Joe Bloggs sitting in the waiting room for weeks that would be one thing. But they don't have to ensure Joe Bloggs doesn't escape justice or assault someone else, do they?
Monday 7 February 2022
Now Do Jeremy Bamber...
Levi Bellfield has admitted to murdering mother and daughter Lin and Megan Russell in 1996, it was reported last night.
In a harrowing four-page statement, the serial killer has formally confessed to the murders, providing chilling details of the attack.
I've always believed this case to be a miscarriage of justice on the scale of Barry George and (nearly) Colin Stagg, where the police are convinced they have the right person and refuse to accept any alternative suspect. I believe the Jeremy Bamber case is yet another.
It is believed the document has been sent to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) which has the power to investigate alleged miscarriages of justice.
Perhaps Professional Standards would be better off taking a look as well, given the lying and incompetence surrounding this case?
Last year it was reported that police had found a piece of evidence which had been lost for 14 years, that lawyers for Stone believe could be used to clear his name. The item, a long bootlace, was used to tie up one of the victims and was dropped by the killer and later found at the scene by detectives. A small part of the lace was tested for DNA at the time. But, with the processes still in their infancy, the tests came back inconclusive.
Lawyers for Stone have argued since 2007 for the whole lace to be tested. However, police have insisted that a large section of the lace no longer exists, having never been returned to police after forensic testing. Police then reportedly said the lace had been tested to the point of destruction 1998. According to the Sun, the larger lace section was recently found again - supposedly at a police station. The lace is reportedly being tested by the CCRC.
Is that, I wonder, why this confession has been made now?
And yes, as Longrider points out, if this is yet another such case, it does weaken the case for the death penalty. Or at least, restrict any future use to 'no doubt' cases like those of Michael Adebolajo.
I Thought It Wouldn't Be Surprising...
...that the Tories would win the (uncontested) election following the terrorist murder of Sir David Amess.
But I was wrong:
Thousands of voters in the uncontested Southend West by-election spoilt their ballot papers with messages directed at the government, according to local BBC reports.
A bit of hyperbole here - the actual total was 1084.
But even so, given the turnout was the third lowest since 1945, that tells us something...
Sunday 6 February 2022
Riddle Me This: How Many Little Girls Does It Take To Bury A Dad?
...and did they have those cute little plastic pink shovels?
H/T: Mark via email
Saturday 5 February 2022
'We Need More Voltage, Sarge!'
A spokesman for the force said: 'Police were called shortly after 7.10pm yesterday to a report of a domestic assault at a property on Fern Street in Farnworth, Bolton.
'Officers attended the scene and attempted to arrest a man in his 20s.
'After the situation escalated, a Taser was deployed to maintain the safety of all involved.
'The Taser was removed and man subsequently made off on foot...
Whoops! Guess they needed more power, but where are they going to get it?
...into Farnworth train station where he sustained serious injuries while on the railway line.
'He remains in a serious but stable condition in hospital.
Ah. Never mind.
Someone Needs To Take Action, Though...
Paul Carton bought a ring in 2013 that had been owned by the socialite and listed it for sale online last year.
Police were convinced that the 57-year-old had been involved in Britain's biggest ever domestic burglary in December 2019 and undercover officers targeted the driver by posing as prospective buyers.
Why, exactly, were they convinced?
He said he spent hours bound with handcuffs and plastic ties in his living room as officers bagged up and removed jewellery. Fighting back tears, Mr Carton recalled: 'It was agony, the handcuffs cutting into my hands while I could hear them moving around my house. I still didn't think they were police, I feared for my life. My house was a wreck. The experience has left me so shaken.'
Mr Carton was taken to Weymouth police station and arrested for handling stolen goods and assaulting an emergency worker. He admits that he struck an officer in the face when the group had burst into his home.
Mr Carton said he was told Miss Ecclestone had identified the ring as one stolen in the December 2019 raid on her mansion in Kensington, west London, in which cash and jewels were stolen. The chauffeur said he explained he had bought the ring six years before the burglary, but spent three hours in a cell before being released under investigation.
*sighs*
Weymouth Police briefing room...
He has since been told no further action will be taken.
That's what they think!
Mr Carton has made a formal complaint and plans legal action. He said he is yet to receive an apology. His claim for property damaged at his home was rejected as he was 'resisting arrest'.
I hope he wins.
Friday 4 February 2022
Not The Sort Of Cocktail I Aspired To At 19...
Remember this, back in May last year?
A teenager whose death sparked a riot in Swansea collapsed after an 'unintentional drug overdose', a coroner has found.
Gosh, what are the odds?
Coroner Colin Phillips told an inquest into the youngster's death in Swansea Guildhall on Monday how Mr Powell's family had now lost 'two generations to drugs'. His mother Charmaine having died of a drugs overdose in 2017.
Oh. OK, Pretty good, it seems. So, what are we talking about here, one or two paracetemol over the safe limit?
During a post-mortem examination, a toxicology report found Mr Powell had traces of cocaine and methadone in his blood. Synthetic cannabinoids, commonly referred to as 'spice', were also present in his system and therapeutic levels of codeine.
*boggle*
Referring to the riot, Mr Phillips said: 'The family would like to reiterate that as a family they did not agree with it and in no way did they instigate the riot.
'It was extremely distressing from their point of view to see what happened and they are concerned about the publicity the inquest will generate.'
You'd think they'd be used to it...
But Judge, Protecting The Public Is Your Job...
Remember this case from October?
Mitigating, Christopher Martin said: “He has vulnerabilities such as autism and language difficulties. He also suffered emotional harm at school and the training centre he’s been in.
“He has extremely complex needs and whilst prison may protect the public it will not help his difficulties”
Who cares? It'll protect the public, and that's the main thing here!
Southend Crown Court heard on Friday how the attack lead to a family losing thousands of pounds in wages and even a school prom’s security had to be ramped up.
Does the judge take this into account? Reader, he does not:
Sentencing the teenager, Judge Shane Collery said the youngster did not intend to cause harm and was probably reckless.
*rolls eyes*
He said: “One of the victims is a community person and doesn’t want any vengeance. I do not accept this was excessive self defence.
“Another has a permanent face scar. He’s very self conscious about.
“I’ve heard about the absent father of the teenager. Another victim has been sitting in court crying. I can see nobody wants that at all.
“A training centre did no good but with bail and school he’s not reoffended.”
He's not going to see any jail time, is he?
He was handed an 18 month youth rehabilitation order, with supervision, work for emotions and relationships and exploitation.
A curfew from 9pm and 7am was imposed with a three year restraining order.
Thought not.
Thursday 3 February 2022
So, Pass It Once He's Recovered...
A man who used a high-powered hunting crossbow to shoot and injure two people in random and unprovoked attacks in west London has been given a hospital order.
He's 'mad', not bad, you see...
On Friday, Ramdeen, of Green Lane, Northwood, was sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court to a section 37 hospital order after pleading guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent following the attacks, according to the force.
The judge said he considered Ramdeen dangerous and that, had a hospital order not been an option, he would have passed a sentence of 14 years and nine months.
Seems to me, then, that once the headshrinkers have 'cured' him, he should then get the 14 years. Just in case they are wrong. Again.
Detective Inspector Daniel McInerney said: 'It's no exaggeration to say that in both instances the difference between life and death was but a matter of millimetres.
'If the variation of the bolts had been ever so slightly different, two sets of families would have lost a loved one and we'd have been looking at two very different investigations.
'It's pure good fortune that the second victim was so close to a hospital. The doctors and nurses saved this man's life.'
He added: 'Though Ramdeen's motive has never been established, the judge has been clear that he is considered a danger to the public and he has been sentenced appropriately.'
Do you need this, Daniel?
Look under 'a'...
I Find These Immigrants Very Palatable...
They have scuttled through Scandinavian waters and muscled their way into Britain.
...which is something I don't often say about a threat to our native population, I'll admit!
The species, which are native to North America, came to Russia in the 1960s after scientists aimed to introduce a new, lucrative market.
The king crabs then headed to Norway, spiking a fishing industry boom before finding their way to Britain.
Despite fears for the native population, the invaders have proved a winner with London restaurants so far with many snapping up the haul for their menus.
We will fight them on the dining table! Increase production of brown bread and butter. It's for the nation!
Wednesday 2 February 2022
Rewatchable TV February: Kindred The Embraced
Another short lived show - but sadly even shorter than last month, and for very different reasons - is one based on the 'Vampire: The Masquerade' RPG.
It was called 'Kindred: The Embraced' and sadly it was cancelled abruptly following which any hope of a reprieve was cut short by the sad death of Mark Frankel, the lead actor, in a traffic accident.
I have the DVD, so took the time to rewatch it, and it's stood the test of time very well; a great cast, and an interesting premise (described by one reviewer as 'Melrose Place' meets 'The Godfather') but sadly the fickle nature of US TV means it never really got a chance...
"Hannah? Who The **** Is Hannah?"
A developer told Bradford Council that a planned housing development would collapse if they were not allowed to...
Cram in people like rabbits in a hutch too small for them?
...call it Hannahs Hill.
*blinks*
Officers had said the name could be problematic, as current rules on road naming prevent streets being named after a living person, and "Hannahs Hill" could fall foul of this rule.
Officers had suggested that the scheme could instead be called Seam Close - named after a stone shaft on the site, which was once used for mining.
Street and road names can cause all sorts of aggravation, so it's unsurprising that councils would have guidelines and rules about this.
A report to the area committee said: "The developer has commented that the five house buyers are going to insist on Hannas Hill (sic).
"The proposed property sales have been put in place with the street name ‘Hannah’ or a variation of, which was agreed with the potential buyers before the current developer took over the site.
"The developer has stated that if the name ‘Hannas Hill’ is not approved then the development will cease."
This is blackmail. Tell the developer to do one! There's plenty of other developers out there.
At the meeting members said they had no issue with the name Hannahs Hill, and approved the request.
And now you've set a precedent. *sighs*
There's Many Reasons Why This Is Cobblers...
...not least the fact that pumas and cougars (the same animal with different names) aren't big cats, because they can't roar.
Tuesday 1 February 2022
John Orrey: Bastard Of The Month
A man who killed protected birds because he believed they were a risk has avoided jail.
John Orrey, 63, was snared by undercover cameras that captured his crimes in Kneeton in January last year. Nottingham Magistrates' Court was shown footage of Orrey recovering two buzzards from a cage that he had beaten to death, with two other dove carcasses also being discovered.
Orrey's defence solicitor said: "What he [the defendant] says to me is that spring time, March and April, is time when eggs and young game birds start to be taken by birds including buzzards.
"I would suggest Orrey wasn't educated on those stats [because he killed the birds in January].
What the hell does that matter?
"In weeks leading up to the matters, Mr Orrey said he had been bating (sic) the traps with a view to catching birds. The plan was to reduce the population to prevent less of risk to young birds.
"We all know what happened and he says the buzzards posed a risk and that's why he behaved as he did.
"He is remorseful and has no previous history. There has been no repeat behaviour since the January incidents.
"This isn't a case of deliberate causing of suffering, it was not prolonged."
The footage is here - it's utterly sickening, and I can only assume the magistrates, having seen it, must have been struggling not to laugh at the defence claims...
But then, of course, they didn't. Nor did they point out that the defence solicitor was clearly a bald-faced liar in claiming that. Nor did they give this vile individual the sentence he deserved.
The presiding magistrate said Orrey's fear of going to prison at the age of 63 would surely deter him from crime in the future.
She sentenced him to 20 weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months. He must pay a fine of £1,000, costs of £700 and £180 compensation. Orrey also had his shotgun licence revoked.
It's no deterrent. But hopefully - though there's no mention of this - he's been summarily sacked and will never ever work as a gamekeeper again.
But What If They Don't Get Any..?
Drivers who catcall passers-by are being targeted by an undercover police operation.
Women officers wearing plain clothes have been walking in areas of a city where students have complained of being harassed from cars.
Drivers who shout ‘things from their vehicles’ risk being pulled over and handed a fixed penalty or, if taken to court, fined £1,000.
Risky in more ways than one! If you pass them but don't letch out of the window, presumably you'll get pulled over to ask why not?
The crackdown on sexist and lewd comments by men is taking place in Bradford...Hmmm, Bradford, eh? I wonder what demographic is most at fault here?
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